Vegetable sizing apparatus



Dec. 12, 1939. w. J. ZINK VEGETABLE SIZING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11, 1957 a z a Wfi g INVENTOR.

- w. J. ZINK 2,183,233 v VEGETABLE S I Z ING APPARATUS Dec. 12, 1939.

Filed-Aug. 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 is to provide a grading device unit that is simple '9 that aresecured to uprights l, and roller 1 in construction, inexpensive to manufactura'and' is mounted on a shaft III which 'is journalled highly eificient in operation, and which may be I in bearings II. The bearings H' are slidably operated alone to sort two different sizes, or mounted on the upwardly inclined angle memwhich may be easily and quickly connected to -bers 3by means o bo ts l2 t are" engaged i0 the character which shall effectively sort vegebiacket15 that is fixed to the member 3.""Each 5 45, One of thesizing units isillustrated in -Fig-.

PatentedDec. 12, 1939 I t t d I aisazjsa" t VEGEll-ABLE SIZINQAPPARATUS w y r I 1 William J. Zink, Birmingharm "ii1a.; assi noit "to Mathews Conveyer Company, Ellwood City, Pa.',.'

a corporationof- Pennsylvania j t Application Augustll, leavfs rialivo. 158,563

I I 2 Claims; (01. 209-44) ,r a This invention relates to vegetable sizing appaconstruction and comprises formed wires which ratus and is directed more particularly to an define diamond shaped opening'sof a predeterapparatus for sorting onions, tomatoes and pota mined size. The belt 5 is upwardly inclinedand "toes according to'their relative sizes; passes aroundrollers 6 and L Roller 6' is mount-- 5 The primary object of the present invention ed on a'shaft 8 which is journalledin bearings UNITE;

additional similar units to provide an apparatus through slots (not ,-shown) in the angle iron capable of'sorting a plurality of sizes of -vege-. members 3. Each bearing is formed with a tables; 1 1 h downwardly projecting flange l3, anda' bolt Hi- 'Another object is toprovide an apparatus of p iectstherethrough and also through n tables such as tomatoes and potatoes, without bOYItiS fittedwith a'nut. 50 that y' j bruising, scraping, or otherwise injuring the vegethese nuts, on the bolts 14, the tension on the tables during their passage through-the device. Sizing belt y b i t A-further' object is to providea sorting a ps "Suitable e panels 18 are fastened to e 20 ratus wherein the vegetables will be efiectively pw r lyi inclined members 3 t0 maintain the 6 separated according to size and the different Vegetables, 011' the Sizing belt 5 W e miss ng sizes will be separately dischargedfrom theappathrough t e apparatus- AS Shown Figure ratus intobags'orother suitable containers.-

, ac panel l8 extends m a point adjacent With the foregoing and other object's'inview, the l W J 3 to a point y t pp r. the invention may be stated to"consis t in the lle T P3111618 ar yreces to Q5 various novel featuresof construction and jarretf v t roller andjthles b n s eXteIld rangement or combination, all of which willbe b yo d t fl l 6 0, 0 madelivery chute is. fully described hereinafter and pointed out in 1 'Art f ngedbeneath the upper run of the sizing the appended claims. ii belt is a'hopper shaped platform 22 whichre In the drawings accompanyin and forming ceives the vegetables that'drop throughthe open- 3' t of thjg l t I ings in the sizing belt. This platform is fitted 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation f a sizing appaat its lowest point with ,a delivery chute 22' ratus constructed in accordance-with my invenwhich prflje s t 6 S f t ppa at s and tion and illustrating a three unit machine; is supported by vertically disposed angle mem- F gure 2 is a top plan View thereofi'an'd bers 24 extending between members 2 and 3. 35

Ehgure 3 is a side elevation of one of the sizing If desired, a belt conveyer (not shown) may be 11111175. substituted 'for, or used in connection: with the A 512mg ppar tus str ted a c da c I delivery chute 23 for transporting the articles to with my inventioncomprises either asingleunit 1 -3,ny d i location 1 t i 40 capa of sort v ta s rdi two 'In' Figures 1 and 2; I have-shown a sizing 40 2:553 2: (1 :2; t 'z igs gaz g 25 apparatus composed of three units similar to 1 that described above. '-The vegetables are fed to the sizing apparatus by a horizontally dispable of sorting vegetables according to a plurality of sizes. a .t I I I posedconveyer orpicking un t, the discharge end ure 3 and comprises a suitable irameworkicon P W is indicated generally at although sisting of ,vertically disposed members I hori-' -1t w111 b understoodtthatt any Suitable. feeding zontany disposed bracingxmembers 2, and arrangement maybeused. The vegetables are wardly inclined bracing members 3. 'These mem-- received on the lower end of the firstyumti bers may be formed from anyj suitable material, travel upwardlyon h O m belt, 50 but for economical reasons, and to facilitate conthe, 5 1 1 dI'OP u the li i necting severalunits together, I preferably use ins he b nto e P m "and dis- I angle iron for these members. i charged from chute 23 at the side of the unit.. Mounted within the framework is an endless In the case of tomatoes, the openings in the sizing belt 5 This belt is preferably of standard belt of the first unit are preferably 203/16 inches 55 I which is the size used for tomatoes known as 7-7s to drop through.

The tomatoes which are retained on the belt of the first unit are carried upwardly and are discharged on the lower end of the second unit. The openings in the belt of the'second unit are preferably 2 /2 inches which allows tomatoes- If a still further separation is desired, a fourth,

unit could be easily added as will be explained hereinafter, and this fourth unit would have openings preferably 3 inches in diameter to allow tomatoes known as 5-6s to drop through. By referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be observed that a sizing unit constructed as shown in Figure 3, may, be used alone where a separation of two sizes is desired, or a plurality of these units may be easily and quickly connected together to provide a multiple sizing apparatus. When a plurality of units are used, the uprights I adjacent the lower end of the belt are engaged with and connected to the uprights l of anadjacent unit, which latter uprights are adjacent the upper roll 6. These abutting uprights are connected together in any suitable manner, as by bolts 28. The discharge chute 59 of one unit is connected to the side panels if} of the adjacent unit by plates 29 (Figure 3) or in any other suitable or approved manner. The discharge chute I9 of the last unit may befitted with a side delivery chute 30, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, if desired. Between each unit, the discharge chute I9 is preferably fitted with-a metal bottom slide 3| having a rubber covered surface to facilitate transfer of the tomatoes from the discharge end of one unit onto the receive end of the adjacent unit without bruising or otherwise damaging the tomatoes.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the several sizing belts are driven from a single source of power in the form of a gear head motor 35 which is supported on channel members 36 that extend transversely between angle members 2. A chain 31 connects the motor sprocket 38 with a sprocket 39 on shaft 8 of one of the units. This shaft is also fitted adjacent each end with smaller sprockets 46 and 4|. Sprocket '49 is connected by means of a chain 42 with a similar sprocket 43 on the shaft 8 of an adjacent unit. Similarly, sprocket 4! is connected by a chain 44 with a sprocket 45 on the other adjacent unit, and this unit is shown fitted with a sprocket 45 that drives the picker conveyer 25 through a chain 41. It is thus obvious that by similar driving sprockets and chains, additional units may be connected to the apparatus. When a single unit only is used, the motor 35 drives only the sizing belt of that unit, and if desired, the picking unit in the manner described above. It will thus be apparent that a unit sizing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention may be economically manufactured and provides an exceptionallyfiexible and desirable arrangement whereby one unit alone may be used, or any desired number of such units may be easily and quickly assembled to provide an apparatus capable of multiple separation according to a plurality of sizes. The apparatus also provides the additional advantage that the small grower and shipper may add to his apparatus from time to time without his original unit becoming obsolete.

What I claim is: '1. A sizing apparatus comprising a plurality of similar unitsadapted to be used in connected series, each unit including a rectangular framework having an upright at each corner thereof and horizontally disposed and upwardly inclined bracing members secured to the uprights and extending longitudinally of the unit, an inclined endless sizing belt carried by said framework and extending upwardly from the receiving end toward the discharge end thereof, a driving roller for the endless belt rotatably mounted on the framework, side panels positioned, one along each side of the upper run of said sizing belt and secured to the inclined bracing member and each panel extending beyond the upper discharge end of said sizing belt with a part circumferential out out portion extending around a part of the periphery of the driving roller, and means arranged between the upper and lower runs of said sizing belt for discharging the articles passing through said belt, said unit having means whereby the two uprights at the receiving end of one unit are in contact with and secured directly to the two uprights at the discharge end of a second unit, and the forwardly projecting ends of the side panels of said second unit engaging with the side panels of the first unit and the side panels of adjacent units being in substantial alignment, thereby to provide a multiple unit separator. I

2. A sizing apparatus comprising a plurality of similar units adapted to be used in connected series, each unit including a rectangular framework having an angle iron upright at each corner thereof and horizontally disposed and upwardly inclined bracing members secured to the uprights and extending longitudinally of the unit, an inclined endless sizing belt carried by said framework and extending upwardly from the receiving end toward the discharge end thereof, saidreceivlng end lying within the confines of said framework and said discharge end extending beyond said framework, a driving roller for the endless belt rotatably mounted on the framework, side panels positioned, one along each side of the upper run of said sizing belt and secured to the inclined bracing member and each panel extending beyond the upper discharge end of. said sizing belt and framework with a part circumferential cut out. portion extending around a part of the periphery of the driving roller, means arranged between the upper and lowerruns of said sizing belt for discharging the articles passing through said belt, means for securing the transverse flanges of the angle iron uprights at the receiving end of one unit in abutting contact with the transverse flanges of the angle iron uprights at the discharge end of a second unit and with the discharge end of the sizing belt of the second unit overlying the receive end of the first unit, and means for securing the forwardly projecting ends of the side panels of said second unit with the side panels of the first unit thereby to provide a multiple unit separator, the side panels of adjacent units being in substantial alignment.

WM. J. ZINK. 

